The present invention relates to hard disc drive (HDD) slider connections, and more particularly, to solder connections with top bond pads on a slider.
HDDs typically comprise one or more discs. Where multiple discs are used, a stack is formed of co-axial discs having generally the same diameter. A transducing head carried by a slider is used to read from and write to a data track on a disc. The slider is carried by an arm assembly that includes an actuator arm and a suspension assembly, which can include a separate gimbal structure or can integrally form a gimbal. The slider is typically attached directly to the gimbal with an adhesive. As the disc is spun, the slider glides above the surface of the disc on a small cushion of air usually referred to as an air bearing. Any necessary adjustment in slider orientation is typically obtained by physically bending the gimbal during assembly. The actuator arm movably positions the slider with respect to the disc. Electrical connections extend along the suspension to electrically connect the transducing head to components located at or near the actuator arm. Those electrical connections can be formed on the suspension itself, or can be located on a separate interconnect structure supported relative to the suspension, such as a flex-on suspension (FOS).